Why are so many people letting beer sit so long??

[ANewrBrewr]

I've always had the question of why so many homebrewers let their beer sit in primary or secondary for soooo long. Aside from sours, fruit beers and high gravity beers, isn't anything over 1 week in primary and 1 week in secondary bad for the beer? Most commercial brewers thrive on freshness and usually see turn around from brew to glass in around 2 weeks. So why do some homebrewers feel the need to let their beer sit in a closet for weeks and sometimes months? My only thoughts are they either just get lazy and can't find the time to transfer/keg or they brew bad beer that requires time to mellow out harsh flavors/aromas. I do session IPAs and wheat beers from grain to glass in around 12 days and these beers have both gone on to get gold medals. So I'm just wanting to hear why people think their beer should sit so long. Cheers!

 

[brettwasbtd]

isn't anything over 1 week in primary and 1 week in secondary bad for the beer?

Nope, but neither is your 12 days grain to glass. Lots of flexibility here.

why do some homebrewers feel the need to let their beer sit in a closet for weeks and sometimes months? My only thoughts are they either just get lazy and can't find the time to transfer/keg

This is me, last session ipa I had planned to only dry hop for 4 days, laziness kicked in and it end up sitting on the hops 12 days...still tastes great!

 

[jahdub]

I think what you're reading is more of the "conventional" way you see people recommend. Most of the more vocal and experienced brewers I've seen on here don't even use secondaries and might have 2 weeks total fermentation time. I'm kegging a hoppy wheat today that I pitched yeast on 9 days ago.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

Commercial doesnt necessarily = home brewers

Commercial breweries *have* to push beer out as fast as possible to make room for more beer otherwise they stop making money.

Normally I personally only leave a beer in primary for 2 weeks, its not about laziness or anything its just the best amount of time for my process for me. I'll bottle after 2 weeks if its a normal beer, or transfer to secondary for big beers or if I am adding fruit.

I'm not worried about drinking the beer any sooner or anything, itll be done when its done.

 

[hunter_le five]

I let it sit in primary until it's clear, and then transfer to keg. I don't like cloudy beer.

No, it's not "bad for the beer", unless you're doing something wrong.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I can't speak for others, but I was one of those "leave it in primary for 4 weeks and call it good" brewers when I first started out. This came about after reading Revvy's "Never Dump Your Beer" thread, which resonated with me because 1) I was a new brewer and didn't know any better and 2) being a new brewer, my confidence in my brewing abilities was not all that high.

After my first year of brewing, my confidence greatly increased and I set up a ferm chamber. With those two changes, I ditched the 4 week primary practice and moved to a much improved, "give it 2-3 days in primary past the krausen clearing and keg it" practice. As a result, I turn almost all batches grain to glass in about 2 weeks and the beer I brew today is far better than anything I brewed early on.

 

[atom]

12 days?? ****...i bottle mine after 2 and start drinkin em 2 days after that!

 

[Psylocide]

I let it sit in primary until it's clear, and then transfer to keg. I don't like cloudy beer.

No, it's not "bad for the beer", unless you're doing something wrong.

Bah. If you keg, it's as easy as using whirlfloc @ 15 min and fining with Gelatin after 2 days burst carbing. Clear beer in 24-48 hrs after the gelatin hits it.

 

[hunter_le five]

Bah. If you keg, it's as easy as using whirlfloc @ 15 min and fining with Gelatin after 2 days burst carbing. Clear beer in 24-48 hrs after the gelatin hits it.

I use whirlfloc/irish moss, but I do the gelatin/cold crash in the primary. I don't like having a bunch of trub-flavored Jello sitting at the bottom of the keg.

I'm not one of those month-long primary guys, but I do let it sit ~1 week total after reaching FG for clearing/cold crash/gelatin.

 

[Psylocide]

I use whirlfloc/irish moss, but I do the gelatin/cold crash in the primary. I don't like having a bunch of trub-flavored Jello sitting at the bottom of the keg.

I'm not one of those month-long primary guys, but I do let it sit ~1 week total after reaching FG for clearing/cold crash/gelatin.

Heard that, everyone has their process.

I didn't notice any difference in taste/clarity between the two methods, so just switched to fining in the keg.

Plus when my fridge has kegs in it, I don't have room for my carboy.

Sad story, I know.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

I too have gotten to the point where my brews go grain to glass in about 17 days. Even my stout and its amazing as soon as its carbed. But I think theres a lot thats built up to that. Ive dialed in my recipes, my pitching rates and ferm temps are perfect, I pitch starters at high krausen, oxygenate my wort, etc. So Im doing all the things that need to be done for a fast healthy fermentation.
For people just getting into the hobby and those making due with less than perfect conditions its probably best to give the process an extra week or two. They probably aren't doing(or can't) all the little things so the extra time tends to help. Ultimately I don't see the point in rushing the process and getting buttery green apple garbage. But I also don't see the point of having beer sit in the fermenter when its ready to be on tap.

 

[hunter_le five]

Heard that, everyone has their process.

I didn't notice any difference in taste/clarity between the two methods, so just switched to fining in the keg.

I've tried it both ways. I never have a problem fining in the keg - unless I had to move it. Then all the crap that had settled on the bottom would get stirred up again, and I'd have to go through several cloudy glasses again before it cleared up again. #FirstWorldProblems

Now I can roll the keg down my driveway and not worry about stirring any flocculated yeast back up. You know, if I wanted to.

 

[ANewrBrewr]

Thanks for all of the thoughts! It seems we are all in agreement that turning beers around in 2 weeks or less isn't crazy! I was just seeing if there was an off flavor that can contribute to kegging beers early and if so I was going to search for it in mine. I also agree that your system must be dialed in, I've been brewing just around 5 years and I can promise you my first few batches weren't drinkable for at least a few months However I still get looks of disgust from certain brewers that think I'm just impatient and the "beer will get better" or "the last beer is always the best"...this isn't wine after all

 

[depper]

I've always wondered this question as well, when reading about people with the long primary and secondary. I can understand it under some circumstances, but not normally. I'm the 1 week primary....check the FG....keg if FG is where it's suppose to be....add gelatin in keg and carb up! Easy Peasy.... Even when I dry-hop, I only do that for 3-5 days then keg.

 

[Natdavis777]

Ales that dont require a dry hop are usually kegged before day 14. Beers that require a dry hop are fermented for ~ 7 days, dry hopped for 5-7 in the primary, then crashed for a few days. Takes a little longer to get to the keg, but it doesnt harm the beer at all. Allows the beer to clear out well and reduces the risk of oxidation.

Then there are lagers...

 

[Gavin C]

I don't make big beers so am usually kegging all the ales I make withing a 2 week time-frame. Cold crashing and gelatin in the FV for the driveway-rolling abilities @hunter_la5 mentioned.

 

[Psylocide]

I don't make big beers so am usually kegging all the ales I make withing a 2 week time-frame. Cold crashing and gelatin in the FV for the driveway-rolling abilities @hunter_la5 mentioned.

Why are you guys rolling your kegs down the driveway anyway?

I'd expect a fixture of the front page to know better than that.

 

[Hello]

Thanks for all of the thoughts! It seems we are all in agreement that turning beers around in 2 weeks or less isn't crazy! I was just seeing if there was an off flavor that can contribute to kegging beers early and if so I was going to search for it in mine. I also agree that your system must be dialed in, I've been brewing just around 5 years and I can promise you my first few batches weren't drinkable for at least a few months However I still get looks of disgust from certain brewers that think I'm just impatient and the "beer will get better" or "the last beer is always the best"...this isn't wine after all

If your beers are winning gold medals then why would you go looking for an issue if the response from people had been any different? Seems odd to me.

I am in the camp of leaving my beers in primary for a good week after reaching FG. It's just how I clear the beer and let the yeast finish doing whatever it wants to do. I continue to stand by my method of not touching a beer for 10 days after I pitch yeast. It has served me very well.

I do believe there is something to some beers tasting green, but if you're session IPAs are fine then keep going with your process.

 

[hunter_le five]

Why are you guys rolling your kegs down the driveway anyway?

....Because that's where the truck is parked?

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

I was just seeing if there was an off flavor that can contribute to kegging beers early and if so I was going to search for it in mine.

If you mean from kegging too early then yes. I can normally taste acetaldehyde(green apple) and diacetyl(buttery mouthfeel) in beers that have been rushed and weren't ready to move along. Some people can't pick it up that easily though it depends on your taste threshold.

 

[Gavin C]

Why are you guys rolling your kegs down the driveway anyway?

I'd expect a fixture of the front page to know better than that.

To check the gravity, sheesh. Obvious really, if it rolls it's got gravity. Let me share a link to a front page.. nevermind. Some folks are beyond help.

 

[Psylocide]

To check the gravity, sheesh. Obvious really, if it rolls it's got gravity. Let me share a link to a front page.. nevermind. Some folks are beyond help.

Best explanation ever.

So... beers with higher FGs roll faster, I take it?

 

[Gavin C]

Best explanation ever.

So... beers with higher FGs roll faster, I take it?

That is an all too common beginners assumption. I can't find the link right now but it all depends on how your driveway is calibrated and how much alcohol in the roller.

Reporting myself for thread derailment. Sorry OP. Back to proceedings.

 

[wardens355]

So why do some homebrewers feel the need to let their beer sit in a closet for weeks and sometimes months? My only thoughts are they either just get lazy and can't find the time to transfer/keg or they brew bad beer that requires time to mellow out harsh flavors/aromas.

My beers are in carboy 3-4 weeks, then tossed in keg to carb (2-3 weeks at near freezing). I think my beer turns out OK, no discernible off flavors.

I was just seeing if there was an off flavor that can contribute to kegging beers early and if so I was going to search for it in mine.

Ah, so I'm not necessarily lazy/make bad beer.

 

[55x11]

If your beers are winning gold medals then why would you go looking for an issue if the response from people had been any different? Seems odd to me.

I am in the camp of leaving my beers in primary for a good week after reaching FG. It's just how I clear the beer and let the yeast finish doing whatever it wants to do. I continue to stand by my method of not touching a beer for 10 days after I pitch yeast. It has served me very well.

I do believe there is something to some beers tasting green, but if you're session IPAs are fine then keep going with your process.

Agreed. Studies show that yeast is cleaning up after itself for at least a few days after FG is basically reached. So leaving in primary for 10-14 days or even longer is not a bad idea. There is no downside but only upside. And all you have to do is do nothing for a week or so. Which is very easy to do!
. Of course it depends on the beer. Low ABV beers may not need as much time as high ABV. And hoppy beers can hide the subtle off tastes. Which may explain why for session IPA you can get away with short fermentation and basically no conditioning.
I also agree that commercial breweries need to push out beers faster than perhaps ideal to make profit. For homebrewers there is really no rush and quality is much more important than highest throughput. If you really brew every week (who is drinking all that beer btw?) I would just get an extra carboy. I have three and in theory could brew 6 X 5-gallon batches a month with 2 weeks in primary before bottling. If I shorten it to one week I can go up to 60 gallons a month instead of 30. In reality I average 5-10 gallons most months.

 

[oljimmy]

100% agree with this post. As a newb I wasted a LOT of learning time sitting around an extra 2 weeks for each beer waiting for it to "condition". I go 14 days grain to glass now and I can't keep a keg longer than two weeks with everyone wanting to drink the beers all the time. I can't see what the extra two weeks gets you... wine and cider have harsh acids that need to mellow. Beer does not. Once the diacetyl rest is done, that's pretty much all the mellowing you need. If I had stuck to 14 day ferments at the outset, I would have learned all those early lessons a hell of a lot quicker.

 

[RmikeVT]

(who is drinking all that beer btw?)

My friends and neighbors who like free beer.

 

[Hammy71]

I do a 3 week primary every time. I've tried shorter, I've tried longer. Its what works for me. I like clear beer. I don't like filtering, I don't like gelatin, and I don't like rushing the carbonation process. Having a large pipeline allows me to do this. By doing the same thing, for every beer, means I get consistency. Something that was lacking when I was a rookie. Duplication of recipes for me are a snap, with no variances in taste, color, or clarity. Hey, if going from grain to glass in 2 weeks or less is your thing, more power to you. But planning, and a nice pipeline (plus 25 or so kegs don't hurt ), lets me be "lazy". Which...now that I'm in my 40s, is no longer an insult, but a compliment.

 

[Komodo]

Depends on your yeasts too. With bigger Belgians and knowing I'm carbing up to 4 volumes, I leave it in the primary for 3 weeks. They can explode in the beginning and then continue at a very low level for quite awhile.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

100% agree with this post. As a newb I wasted a LOT of learning time sitting around an extra 2 weeks for each beer waiting for it to "condition". I go 14 days grain to glass now and I can't keep a keg longer than two weeks with everyone wanting to drink the beers all the time. I can't see what the extra two weeks gets you... wine and cider have harsh acids that need to mellow. Beer does not. Once the diacetyl rest is done, that's pretty much all the mellowing you need. If I had stuck to 14 day ferments at the outset, I would have learned all those early lessons a hell of a lot quicker.

Edit: Putting this in at the start, in no way am I calling into question your process or the viability of grain to glass times of 2 weeks, it makes sense and is totally achievable for making good beer, though I think there are some caveats to your statements.

For most "new" Brewers though they aren't going to be kegging right out the gates. As well new brewers need to learn patience. Starting right away going full bored trying to do a grain to glass in 14 days as a new brewer is a quick way to make bad beer (or beer you have to wait forever for it to lose its green flavor). For quick turn around beers like wheats I'll be grain to glass (bottle conditioning) in 4 weeks and they start to show their true colors at 8 weeks.

If I was kegging that timeline would be dramatically shorter but to suggest to new Brewers they should be shooting for a grain to glass time of two weeks is not sound advice. (Unless they are kegging, making starters, have active temperature control, and the other thousand things you learn including patience)